The invention relates to an aircraft window arrangement and a method of installing a window arrangement in an aircraft.
The cabin of modern passenger aircraft usually is equipped with sidewall lining panels which are attached to the aircraft structure, e.g., to ribs of the aircraft's primary structure, via suitable fastening devices. A typical aircraft sidewall lining panel comprises an inner facing which, when the sidewall lining panel is mounted in an aircraft, faces an interior of the aircraft cabin, and an outer facing which, when the sidewall lining panel is mounted in the aircraft, faces away from the interior of the aircraft cabin. In the region of a window opening provided in the sidewall lining panel, the outer facing of the sidewall lining panel is formed integral with a window funnel. The window funnel extends between an inner window and an outer window along a circumference of the window opening, wherein the circumferential dimension of the window funnel decreases in a direction from the inner window to the outer window. A retainer for retaining the outer window is formed separate from the window funnel.
Since a misalignment of straight lines is easily recognizable for the human eye, upon mounting the sidewall lining panel in the aircraft, the sidewall lining panel is oriented such that any straight edges of the panel which adjoin straight edges of adjoining interior components mounted in the aircraft cabin are aligned as accurate as possible so as to ensure a pleasant visual appearance of the aircraft cabin. However, a certain misalignment between the side wall lining panel and the retainer for retaining the outer window is tolerated so as to allow manufacturing and mounting tolerances to be compensated for. In the final assembly position of the sidewall lining panel and the retainer, the window funnel therefore typically is positioned relative to the retainer such that the window funnel decreases the visible surface of the outer window, i.e., a circumferential dimension of an outer rim of the window funnel facing the outer window is smaller than the circumferential dimension of the outer window. Further, in order to mask a possible misalignment between the window funnel and the outer window, the outer window, in a circumferential region, usually is provided with a dark colored tolerance masking which further reduces the visible window surface.